The Washington critic., 1887-05-13
N IN THE CASE

Elliott Coues at the recent annual com.
mencemen; of the National Medical
College and which the Faculty deemed
1t expedient TO suppress, has been put
Into print, Notwithstanding, and under
the taking title of "a Woman in the
Case is getting an extensive reading,
no doubt But there is good deal
more than woman" IN this case. At
least 1t Is not the ~omal that upset the
equanimity ami shocked the ssnsiblli-
ties of the Faculty
Professor Coues opened bis address
with the ann uuCemcnl hat the sixty
fifth annual commencement OF the col.
lege had arrived unl one of its mean
ings was Il at II lad taken tie medical
department Of the Columbian Univcr-
sity more than three score years to
grow wise enough TO secure what was
needed-a woman graduate" In this
event he found a text for his discourse
and then proceeded TO diagnose the
causes of womau's slow progress
towards her rightful and equal place in
the world.
The three great stumbling blocks"
she has had to encounter, lie informs
us, are religious intolerance" "scien-
tiflc insolence" aud social tyranny"
"a proposition in which there Is
much obvious truth
twill not be questioned that the
fetters of fashionable society restrict
and pervert her intellectual develop.
ment. 1t may not be disputed that the
arrogance, Jealousy and cgotism of the
opposite sex stand in the way of her
successful scientific evolution; nor will
1t be denied that the Tglii g,iioHs of the
world have invariably antagonized her
aspirations to spiritual and mental in.
dependencezSthe recovery of "the
divine, estate she lost so long ago" 1t
eeems, however, not to have been SO
much the positions taken by the Pro.
fessor that dismayed the Faculty, as
the peculiar manner In which he main.
tanned them, especially in regard to
the tyranny of ecclesiasticism, and
upon this point we must confess that
we are rather inclined to take sides
with the doctors than with the Theos.
ophist.
While we admit the general force OF
his argument, the beauty of his rhet-
oric, the pathos Of his sympathies, we
fail to see the necessity of emphasizing
the fact of religious intolerance by II
sweeping and virulent denunciation of
religious sects, With all the narrow.
ness of creeds, the mOchery of spirit.
uality that too often characterizes
them, the cold and heartlcss despotism
of church craft, there are too many of
the noble and good-ayc, of the pro.
gressive and aggressive Ia all reforms
enrolled under the banners of their
faith, for the whole religious world TO
be stigmaiiZed as time servers and
bigo,s.
Therefore, we submit to Professor
COues that he marred the strength as
well as the symmetry of his address bv
going such an uncGlled for distance
out OF his way 10 wound the sensitive.
ness of his hearers and offend the pro.
prieties of the occasion. To speak,
for instance, of the Protestant Episco.
pacy as 1.-The emasculate bastard of the
scarlet woman of Rome" was in very
bad form. 1t means nothing and
doesn't even sound well.
Bad as the churches may be, prone
TO error and intolerant, our civilization
could scarcely keep at the front with.
out them-would never have been 50
far 10 the front as It is without their
propulslve power; and ii is through the
springs of divine grace that have
watered them all from the beginning
through these alone that the perfected
womanhood" TO which our impatient
Theosophist looks forward, will eveI
be rendered possible.
Hence, although the suppression OF
the publication of the address has
somewhat the appearance Of 0
timid expediency on the part oi
the Faculty, they certainly had
cause TO protest against its Language
and its temper in some particulars
The Professor unqestionably did say
some things that had better have beer
left unsaid ON such an occasion. A
any late Il was quite a, proper for thu
Faculty TO refuse them place on lht
college records us it was for the speaker
10 obtrude them upon the amenities o
a collpop cOmmpuypinpnt
EX-SESAToR JOnN b HENDERSON o
ST. Louis was interviewed at Piltsblr.
yesterday, and in answer to the quss
tion whether "AIug"umpcry" wa
dead in this country, replied.
Tie par'iGlity OF Mr.. Cloyc AMI has kcp
warm tie ncst egg, and with un almost Gl
brot,n font the MrEw imp' Of 1884 wilt flo
Mr. Blaine II lie Is nominated In 1888, and Il
'my opinion they viii he moro 'Ortnldable TIM
they were'fpur years ago Tiny are tho mos
dangerous of the Dem Juratlru'lcs. Allial {
the Mugwumps, bu. not entitled with thcn
are the disaHected Republicans who rra no
few, These men are agsn.t Mr. Blaine an
will not support him a'on To maintain tn
integrity Of their party orl4nilltlu1.
As The determining vote in the mex
Presidential contest Hes within fortl
miles Of the city of New York, Genera
Henderson rather inclines to the opinioI
that unless the outlook In that locality
is better than it was in 1884, Mr., Blainr
will positively refuse the use of hi
name as candidate.
"
Mr.. BuTTERwoRTH of Ohio Is re